West Hill’s history began in 1879, when it was granted a post office by the federal government. Prior to the opening of the post office West Hill was considered part of the neighbouring Highland Creek community.
West Hill’s earliest settlers were Irish immigrants from the County of Cork, who arrived here in the 1840’s seeking refuge from the potato famine in their homeland. They settled mostly in two-room shacks in the Morningside and Lawrence Avenue area, which for a time was called “Corktown”. Many of these new Canadians found work in the building of the Grand Trunk Railway along Toronto’s waterfront in 1856.
In 1906, the radial streetcar line connected West Hill to the rest of Toronto. The streetcar attracted many families to this area, which culminated in the opening of the West Hill Public School in 1921. The present day neighbourhood was developed largely between the 1940’s and 1960’s.
West Hill is a culturally diverse, family oriented neighbourhood located in the south-east part of Toronto. West Hill’s natural beauty is derived from Morningside Park and Colonel Danforth Park. These two large ravine parks form the boundaries of this neighbourhood.
West Hill has many fine attributes including a community centre, a public library, an abundance of parkland, a vibrant shopping district and affordable homes. Neighbourhood landmarks include the C.N. railway tracks that skirt the south end of this neighbourhood, and the University of Toronto’s Scarborough Campus, located off Morningside Avenue.
The Lawrence Avenue bus connects passengers to the Lawrence East subway station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. The Kingston Road bus provides service to the Guildwood Go Train station. The train ride from this station to downtown Toronto’s Union Station is approximately twenty-five minutes.
Motorists are approximately five minutes from the Morningside Avenue on-ramp to Highway 401. Kingston Road provides motorists with an alternate and more scenic route into the city.
